Plant wall pioneer McRae Anderson recently introduced this new ebook publication called “Embrace the Vertical” on the topic of vertical green walls. It’s free, colorful, and concise – just enough to whet your curiosity for more. Anderson provides a list of plants, some basic case studies, and a little background information on his own Greenwalls product.

Sunnovations, a Virginia-based start-up, is seeing more and more interest in its unique solar thermal technology and just closed a Series A round of financing led by Two Seven Ventures. That technology is explained in the attached images, and it may just make solar water heating a no-brainer for every home in the country. The system is relatively affordable, easy to install, and simple to maintain, according to the company.

I find myself more introspective every day as events unfold in Japan. I lived there for an extended period of time and tried to master the language. I see the faces of thousands of people that I met in my mind. I’m on this planet to make a difference, to help people, and it hurts to see neighborhoods gone and air polluted. What can be done? Here are a few efforts that I’m seeing:

In 2005, Stephen Shoup, founder of design-build firm building LAB inc., bought a furniture and woodcarving building to convert it into a live-work space. But Shoup’s firm outgrew the space — and Shoup went from singlehood to fatherhood — so he concocted a plan to create more room in the backyard. He fashioned a modern, green office space from a retired freezer and a corrugated shipping container unit set in an L-shape.

Form & Forest recently announced the completion of their beautiful, proof-of-concept, flat-pack cabin on the banks of the Blaeberry River in Golden, British Columbia. The Pioneer model prefab has 1,740 square feet, a mono pitch roof, 180 degrees of floor-to-ceiling glass, and a smart design with large overhangs and cross ventilation.

Students in Studio H, a design-build program for high school students in Bertie County, North Carolina, recently completed their second major project. The project required the design and construction of three, unique, full-scale, chicken coops to house six chickens each. Students had a budget of $500 per coop, but they also incorporated reclaimed and repurposed materials. Here are the chicken coop designs: